Do YOU answer call lights in a hospital?

[JHansen]

I'm curious, at my hospital only one in every five nurses I would say answers call lights, and one in particular will stand, literally stand, infront of their patients room waiting for a CNA to walk around the corner wondering why the call light is still going off. She will then point at the light then at the CNA and ask them what took them so long.

I asked her one day why she feels the need to do this rather than answer her own patients call lights. "Not my job to do the CNA's.":eek:

So I ask this community: Do YOU answer call lights when they go off or wait as long as possible before the noise makes you go see whats up?

I used to be a CNA so you can be damn sure I answer them unless I am busy with another pt at the moment. CNA's are underpaid and over worked and thats the truth.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Ditto. I work with several "experienced" nurses who don't answer call lights (THEIRS) with much regularity. Unless I'm in the middle of something, I answer all call lights - mine AND other nurses'.

I do NOT like the designation that it's "CNA work." That's just a lazy excuse, esp. from nurses who came from the times when they did NOT have CNAs.

On the other hand... I work with MANY Filipina nurses, and I wonder if it may be cultural. (This is a serious question, if someone knows?) They seem to be the ones who most frequently do NOT answer call lights, period. On the other hand, when I work with Filipina CNAs and offer to help them, they almost always refuse my help (telling me it's "their job" and to go do "your (my) work"). This, in contrast to the white & black American CNAs with whom I work, who almost always accept (if not EXPECT) my assistance.

You may be partially right about the cultural aspect. I work with a Phillopian CNA, and she tries to do anything to can to protray a positive image of the nurse to the pt. Once I became a nurse (worked on same unit as a PCT), she's flat out refused to allow me to assist her in changing pts.

[withasmilelpn]

I just left a facility where noone answered call lights unless the administrator was around, because he would be on you pretty fast. When he was not on, the supervisors would try to get on the CNAs but they got no backup from administration and the CNAs knew it. The CNAs would say "I was just in there" or give you an attitude if you asked them to take so and so to the bathroom. Even though they acknowledged that I was not one of those nurses above patient care, they still would give me a look if I asked them to do something. Not realizing that I was falling more and more behind with my med pass answering lights, toileting patients, etc... Very frustrating and glad I don't work there anymore. (LTC.)

[sissiesmama, ASN, RN]

I started out when going to nsg school as a ward clerk, and at times a CNA. I always try to help my CNAs, and they know if I call for help in a room, I'm not just standing there doing nothing.

One previous job, I started at an LTAC from med-surg, and was still working FT in an ER. We had a new ADON that was fresh from an OB unit at a local hospital. My 2nd day in orientation, a BR call light went off in a room close to the desk and I knew neither patient could get to the light. I hit the light and told the patient I was on the way. I went into the room immediately and went to the bedside of both patients. All of a sudden, the BR door pops open, and it was like "Surprise!" Out pops the new ADON and the DON, timimg us on BR light answering. The BR door was open enough that I could verify that there was no patient in there, and like I said, I knew these two were unable to ambulate.

It took them a minute discussing the "situation" that I followed policy since it only took a few seconds to visualize both patients and the BR with no patient in it. (They were hiding in the shower, of course!) They figured out that first, my preceptor was out smoking, and the CNA for these patients was out with her, and it took less time for me to get to the room to make a visual than ask a couple of times if I could help them.

But, anyway, one think I can't stand is a nurse just standing there looking at the CB system like it is boobytrapped.

Anne

[woknblues]

On the other hand... I work with MANY Filipina nurses, and I wonder if it may be cultural. (This is a serious question, if someone knows?) They seem to be the ones who most frequently do NOT answer call lights, period. On the other hand, when I work with Filipina CNAs and offer to help them, they almost always refuse my help (telling me it's "their job" and to go do "your (my) work"). This, in contrast to the white & black American CNAs with whom I work, who almost always accept (if not EXPECT) my assistance.

It's only cultural where you work.

[qpmz]

yes I will answer call lights. I'm also known to use the call lights myself if for example I need lift help or am in an isolation room and need something. We have one secretary who habitually will let the call light ring it seems forever before answering so I can only imagine how my people feel if they need something and it's not answered proptly.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

of course! I just think not doing so is just flat out ridiculous. If you have enough time to stand and point you have enough time to go in and say can I help you.

My point exactly. I always go and answer the light. I never answer over the speaker at the desk. It is EVERYONE'S JOB to answer the light not just the aide.

You look stupid waiting for the aide to answer the light and then asking "What took so long?", when you could have done it already.

[philanurse74]

I answer any call light, and I think it's incredibly disrespectful to ignore them to do paperwork, or even worse, the play on the internet or continue a personal phone call. I see it all the time, unfortunately. I don't understand nurses who ignore them because it's not "theirs." I consider every patient on the floor "ours." what a concept.

[ScoopsPerson]

I am an RN at a VA Hospital. My busy hospital has 10-12 CNA's and they are used as sitters..these 10-12 CNA's "float" to 6 different floors/units. In answer to your question..yes I am responsibile for answering all my call lights as we have no one to delegate too. Tonight my beeper went off over 20 times to get water, ice, pajama's, clean out a commode give 3 PRN IVP pain meds, all while I was trying to do one admission. I am so exhausted. I don't know what I would do in an environment where I actually was teamed up with a CNA!!

[Beaches10]

Of course it is everyone's responsibility to answer call lights, but I've seen some obviously deaf people who stand around the unit and act like it isn't beeping. I have also seen staff who purposely sit on the other side of the desk far away from the call system just to avoid answering the light. Duh, it is still beeping! My only gripe is patient's who always ask "for my nurse" and all they want is a box of tissue and yet the one who answered the call will state "so and so needs to see her nurse". I usually advise the patient (nicely) that they don't have to wait for that type of thing, anyone is willing to help, but if they need medication or any medical need ask for me by name. A couple of good questions to ask when answering the call light "Can your nurse bring you something when she/he comes in?" or "Your nurse is with another patient at the moment, can I help you?"

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

As I am considered "assistive staff" at my workplace, I most definitely will answer call lights and do so on a regular basis. If, however, I found a nurse, any nurse, waiting outside the room to see how long it took for me to get there...suffice it to say there'd be a verbal asskicking in their future, either from me or my RN Team Leader..and probably from both. There's no excuse for that kind of BS. You want to play games? Go teach Kindergarten.

You don't want to work as a team, find some other floor to work on...or, better yet, find another profession..because you're definitely in the wrong one.

I'm lucky enough not to have those issues on my tight knit unit. We're all in it for the good of our patients.

[SmilingBluEyes]

yes i do.

[edisongirl25]

Before I graduated nursing school I was a tech on a med/surg floor where it was considered a "tech" job to answer all call lights...well, that's what the nurses said, our manager said it was every one's responsibility. There would be all 5 nurses and the secretary sitting at the desk and not one would answer the lights, we had to while running our tails off getting all am care, v/s, and chemsticks done. One of the other aides went into a room to answer the light and the nurse was in the room...when told the light was on, the nurse (using a COW) said "I know, she needs a bedpan"....the aide said "then put her on it" Now, I am an RN on a busy surgical floor. We usually have 6 patients and having been on the other side of it, I try to help my aides as much as I can. We usually have 2 clerks at the desk til 11pm then only one, but they answer the call and ask them what they need....then use the overhead page or if someone is at the desk they'll relay the message...then turn on a colored light above the room...one for each: RN, LPN, CNA as a reminder.